Meaning & Origins

From a Norman French form of the Germanic name Alberic, from alb ‘elf, supernatural being’ + ric ‘power’. This was the name, according to Germanic mythology, of the king of the elves. The native Old English form, Ælfrīc, borne by a 10th-century archbishop of Canterbury, did not long survive the Conquest. Aubrey was a relatively common given name during the Middle Ages, but later fell out of favour. Its occurrence since the 19th century may in part represent a transferred use of the surname derived from the Norman given name, as well as a revival of the latter. In the United States, this is mainly used as a girl's name, perhaps under the influence of Audrey.